Macbeth Act 3 Scene 6
Forres. The palace.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Enter Lennox and another Lord.
Lennox
My former speeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret further: only, I say,
Things have been strangely borne. The
gracious Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth: marry, he was dead:
And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late;
Whom, you may say, if't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought how monstrous
It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain
To kill their gracious father? damned fact!
How it did grieve Macbeth! did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,
That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive
To hear the men deny't. So that, I say,
He has borne all things well: and I do think
That had he Duncan's sons under his key—
As, an't please heaven, he shall not—they
should find
What 'twere to kill a father; so should Fleance.
But, peace! for from broad words and 'cause he fail'd
His presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear
Macduff lives in disgrace: sir, can you tell
Where he bestows himself?
Lennox
What I said earlier only confirmed what you were thinking —
you can connect the rest of the dots yourself. I'll just say
things have been handled... strangely. (Everything from here is sarcasm. Every word.)
The gracious Duncan
was deeply pitied by Macbeth — after he was dead, conveniently.
And the truly brave Banquo went walking too late at night.
You could say — if you like — that Fleance killed him,
since Fleance ran away. Moral: don't take late-night walks.
And who could avoid thinking how monstrous
it was of Malcolm and Donalbain
to kill their own gracious father? Shocking crime!
How it grieved Macbeth! Didn't he instantly,
in holy fury, rip apart the two culprits —
who were dead drunk and fast asleep at the time?
Wasn't that noble of him? Oh, and clever too —
because it would have annoyed everybody
to hear those men say they didn't do it. So yes — as I say,
he's handled everything beautifully. And I suspect
that if he had Duncan's sons under lock and key —
which, heaven willing, he never will — they'd
quickly discover
what the penalty is for killing a father. Fleance too.
But hush — because of loose talk, and because he skipped
the tyrant's banquet, I hear
Macduff is out of favor. Tell me, sir — do you know
where he's keeping himself?
Lord
The son of Duncan,
From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth
Lives in the English court, and is received
Of the most pious Edward with such grace
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high respect: thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the holy king, upon his aid
To wake Northumberland and warlike Siward:
That, by the help of these—with Him above
To ratify the work—we may again
Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,
Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,
Do faithful homage and receive free honours:
All which we pine for now: and this report
Hath so exasperate the king that he
Prepares for some attempt of war.
Lord
Duncan's son Malcolm —
the rightful heir this tyrant robbed —
is living at the English court, received
by the saintly King Edward with such honor
that all his terrible luck has cost him
none of the respect he's owed. Macduff has gone there too,
to beg the holy king's help in rousing
Northumberland and the warrior Siward —
so that with their armies, and with God above
signing off on the work, we might once again
put real food on our tables, real sleep in our nights,
hold feasts and banquets free of bloody knives,
pay loyalty to a king who deserves it, and be honored honestly —
everything we're starving for right now. And word of all this
has so enraged the king that he's
gearing up for war.
Lennox
Sent he to Macduff?
Lennox
Did he summon Macduff?
Lord
He did: and with an absolute 'Sir, not I,'
The cloudy messenger turns me his back,
And hums, as who should say 'You'll rue the time
That clogs me with this answer.'
Lord
He did — and got a flat 'No, sir. Not I.'
The scowling messenger turned his back
and grunted, as if to say, 'You'll be sorry
you stuck me with that answer.'
Lennox
And that well might
Advise him to a caution, to hold what distance
His wisdom can provide. Some holy angel
Fly to the court of England and unfold
His message ere he come, that a swift blessing
May soon return to this our suffering country
Under a hand accursed!
Lennox
Which should be all the warning
Macduff needs — to keep every mile of distance
his good sense can manage. May some holy angel
fly ahead to the English court and deliver
his message before he even arrives — so a swift blessing
can come home soon to this suffering country of ours,
crushed under a cursed hand!
Lord
I'll send my prayers with him.
Lord
My prayers go with him.
Exeunt. — End of Act Three.